Simply unstoppable: Kim & Seo's magical service
CHENNAI: There's an air of inevitability when Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae, men's doubles World No 1, take the court at the moment. The Korean pair, the gold standard in the category, always seem to be a step or two ahead of their rivals. Their skills, in-game intelligence, versatility, exceptional chemistry have made them an all-weather duo, something that helped them amass 11 titles last year, tying the record for most men's doubles titles in a single year (BWF World Tour era).
Many rivals have tried to solve the Kim and Seo puzzle but to no avail. On Sunday, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik threw the kitchen sink, even managing to win a game against the Korean duo. But it was a bridge too far for the Malaysian duo as Kim and Seo eventually added to their record run by capturing the Malaysian Open title — a BWF World Tour Super 1000 event — in Kuala Lumpur.
The Korean pair won 21-15, 12-21, 21-18 in 66 minutes. That was their 20th consecutive win, a run that has resulted in four titles.
Such dominance is mighty impressive given the competition at the elite level of the sport. Now, they'll have their eyes on the India Open, an event where they had finished as second-best last year.
An triumphs again
Women's singles specialist An Se Young, also from South Korea, has also been equally dominant in recent years and she continued to maintain her status on the day. An, who also captured a record-tying 11 titles last season, has started where she left off by capturing the women's singles title in Kuala Lumpur. In the final, An beat Wang Zhi Yi of China, the World No 2, 21-15, 24-22. The 23-year-old was dominant in the first game, but had to overturn a 19-13 deficit in the second.
"I never give up and I always play with confidence. I'm happy to win, I do not think about titles," said An.
Vitidsarn takes men's crown
Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn won the men's singles title when World No 1 Shi Yuqi retired through injury.
Shi pulled out early in the second game of the final with a back injury, losing 23-21, 6-1 (retired).
World No 2 Vitidsarn admitted he had been running on empty coming into this final. "I am happy to have won, but I didn't have much energy left in me," said the 24-year-old. "If I had to play long rallies with him, I don't think I would be able to beat him," added Vitidsarn.